Taylor Walker says he’s determined to repay Adelaide’s faith and help return the Club to the finals.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Walker, 24, had signed a three-year contract extension, tying him to the Crows until the end of 2018.

The two-time leading goalkicker informed family in Broken Hill of his decision to commit to Adelaide on the weekend. Walker’s signature removes his name from the list of eligible free agents at the end of next season. The life-long Crows supporter said he never contemplated leaving the Club.

“I think it (Free Agency) takes a bit of the loyalty out of the game. I think I’m a loyal bloke and the Club has been great to me since I came here as a 17-year-old,” Walker said on Tuesday.

“I was crystal clear about what I wanted to do. I started talking to the Club, and it’s been in the pipeline for a while. I love this footy club, the town and my mates that I play with.

“I’m really excited about the future and confident in the playing group we’ve got here. I want to repay the faith and help get this footy club back to where it should be and that’s playing finals. For me, it was a really easy decision.”

Walker made a successful return from a serious knee injury in 2014.

The imposing Crow played 15 games, kicking 34 goals including a season-high six against the Brisbane Lions to finish third in Adelaide’s goalkicking. He kicked multiple goals in 11 of his 15 games and averaged a career-high 14.7 disposals and 1.7 score assists – ranked fourth in the AFL.

Walker was confident he could build on his encouraging form after a full pre-season.

“I was really confident with my knee by the end of the year … I played 15 games in a row and didn’t have any soft tissue injuries. After blowing your knee out and spending 12 months out of the game … I was really happy just to be back playing footy,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to having a full pre-season this year. Last year, Eddie came over and ‘Pods’ came over. I didn’t have a pre-season, ‘JJ’ had a limited one and so did Tom Lynch. I’m really looking forward to getting together as a group and training as hard as we can.

“We’ve got a talented list, but for us to get success we’ve got to work hard. We play footy to play finals … and we haven’t made finals for the last two years.

“I’m confident that the whole playing group wants to get better and wants to train hard to get where we want to go.”

New coach Phil Walsh praised the playing group’s “appetite for work” in his early days at the helm.

“Whatever I’ve thrown out, and I’ve thrown out a couple of things that have been quite demanding … there’s been no complaining and no whinging. They’ve just got on with it,” Walsh said.

“The other thing I’ve seen is that the players aren’t happy with what’s gone on previously and, particularly, in the last two years with mediocre results. They don’t want to be mediocre and I’m not about being mediocre either.

“We haven’t had success but we’re desperate for success. If anyone’s watched or heard our training – you’ve probably heard it if you’ve been in the vicinity! We’re trying to raise the bar a little bit. That’s not being disrespectful about what’s gone on here previously, but the competition we’re going into next year is going to be one of the most even competitions the AFL has ever had. It’s going to be ruthless and decided my small margins. Just having talent on your list, or thinking your fit isn’t going to cut it. We’re going to make sure we’re really well prepared, not just to be fit but to be as competitive as we possibly can be.

“I’m really excited about that, but I’m sure there are 17 other clubs saying the same thing now.”